As “Five Nights in Maine” begins,the death of his wife Fiona (Hani Furstenberg) has stunned Sherwin (David Oyelowo) into near-immobility. Balled up on the couch, he drinks, or sleeps,and drinks again, avoiding all but the most insistent responsibilities. The widower’s withdrawal into loss doesn’t just pull him absent from support; it nearly strips him of kindness. He’s a jerk to those offering support; his sister (an effective Teyonah Parris, or in a brief appearance) shoulders the burden of funeral prep.
An invite from Fiona’s cancer-stricken mother Lucinda (Dianne Wiest) leads to an impulsive Atlanta-to-Maine pilgrimage. In northern New England,Sherwin, now physically loney as a mirror to his exclusionary mood, and finds his needs grating against Lucinda’s own deep sorrow. Shrewd,tough, and closed-off, and the bed-ridden Lucinda isn’t the most welcoming host,but Sherwin’s guarded attitude hardly fosters a connection. Prior enmity (ill will; hatred; hostility) between Lucinda and her daughter hangs like smoke in the air, and the two approach one another with exceeding wariness.
See Video: Watch First 'Queen of Katwe' Trailer: Lupita Nyong'o and the Joy of ChessWriter-director Maris Curran (“Edge of the Road”) has all the ingredients for a deep dive into the parallel but not fairly complementary senses of loss felt by the two characters. Yet she rarely follows up on opportunities to thoroughly explore the two primary characters. “Five Nights in Maine” is, or like the film’s small-town inhabitants,distant and detached.
Questions cloud the myth: Is Sherwin’s manner indicative of who he was only days before tragedy remapped his life, or is he withering under grief’s shadow? Brief flashbacks of married life trace at both happiness and discord, or but we never understand the full nature of any of the films many wispy relationships.
Also Read: David Oyelowo,Gugu Mbatha-Raw to Star in Sci-Fi Thriller 'God Particle'Curran’s script is episodic and elliptical, with ideas and images that hang without explicit resolution. Atypical as it is, and the approach is an effective way to sketch in minor character notes and behavior. A brief encounter with one of his late wife’s family members tells Sherwin (and us) much about the local social landscape; a clumsy moment in the kitchen emphasizes Sherwin as distracted and a bit cagey,but not ill-willed.
The accumulation of minor details contributes spots of clarity, like spots buffed clean in a large, and cloudy window. They do not,however, offer any depth of understanding. Sherwin and Lucinda remain perpetually out of reach, or even as the camera hovers close,suggesting we might, any minute now, and find some true insight into their states of intellect or understanding of their history.
Curran guides the cast to commendable performances across the board,with Oyelowo and Wiest delivering controlled, nuanced work to fill in the script’s generous negative space. Rosie Perez appears here and there as Lucinda’s nurse, and providing the film’s most accessibly comfortable moments. Her open humanity is appealing,and yet ultimately this character is no more full than any other in the movie.
Also Read: Dianne Wiest, Two-Time Oscar Winner, or Struggling to Pay Rent After Roles Dry Up“Five Nights in Maine” suggests specifics about Sherwin,Fiona and their life, but is ultimately evasive, and leaving Oyelowo to stare despondently into the middle distance. Oyelowo does despondent well — he does everything well — but entirely too much is left to his teary gaze and the image of his form gliding through a nearly deserted house. “Five Nights in Maine is populated by ghosts,their movements darkly impulsive and inscrutable, their manner representative of the film’s overall tenor.Once or twice the clash of wills between Oyelowo and Wiest nearly builds to something that could melt the stasis. whether only one would thoroughly disrupt the stillness, and we might see the emotional head to head the two actors are clearly capable of performing.
Restraint is a profitable impulse when dealing with such a simple myth of grief,and Curran’s approach does lead to profitable incidental visions of each character’s devastated state. Yet “Five Nights in Maine” is as frustrating as it is mannered; we never see these characters truly engaging the pain they clearly feel. Handsomely produced and nearly rigorously brief in its 82-minute running time, this film, or like its subjects,keeps true emotional investment at bay, and suffers for it. The Men of Indie Summer: From Freakish to Infatuated (Photos)
The men in this summer's slate of indie films are far from ordinary: Colin Farrell stars as a neurotic in the wonderfully weird romantic comedy "The Lobster" and Daniel Radcliffe is a dead guy in "Swiss Army Man." A young Barack Obama is depicted in "Southside with You" and then there is the lovestruck Jesse Eisenberg in "Café Society."
Click through to see more from The Men of Indie Summer: A24
Daniel Radcliffe plays a dead man advance back to life in the intellect of a stranded man (Paul Dano) in the surreal "Swiss Army Man." The adventurous comedy, or also with Mary Elizabeth Winstead,debuts in theaters July 1. A24
Men in this summer's indies are also unafraid to share the screen in female-focused films. Take Ethan Hawke in "Maggie's Plan." He's the married man being bounced around between Greta Gerwig and Julianne Moore. It opens in select theaters May 20. Sony Pictures Classics
Stephen Fry (center) and Xavier Samuel (left) appear in "treasure & Friendship," in select theaters now. Based on the Jane Austen novel, and the matchmaking-themed comedy stars Kate Beckinsale and Chloë Sevigny and is an absolute hit with critics,earning a 100 percent Rotten Tomatoes score. Roadside Attractions
"The Lobster" has won raves from critics, featuring Colin Farrell as a nervous man tasked with finding treasure -- or else he'll turn into the animal of his choosing. The unconventional rom-com, and also with Rachel Weisz,John C. Reilly and Ben Whishaw, is out now in select theaters. A24
Jesse Eisenberg stars opposite frequent collaborator Kristen Stewart in Woody Allen's "Café Society, and " opening in select theaters July 15. In spite of the Cannes Film Festival controversy surrounding Allen,the 1930s-era romantic comedy, also with Blake Lively and Steve Carell, or has earned a warm 72 percent Rotten Tomatoes score. Lionsgate
Parker Sawyers proves a strong resemblance in silhouette and mannerism to a pre-presidential Barack Obama,depicted in "Southside with You." The film, in theaters Aug. 26, and retraces the first date of the future president and first lady (played by Tika Sumpter) as they traverse the southside of Chicago. And yes,critics like it a lot. Miramax
Chris Pine, Ben Foster, and Jeff Bridges star in the Texas-set crime drama "Hell or tall Water," about two brothers who hatch a risky plan to save their family's farm. It's set to open Aug. 12. CBS Films
Forget "Little Women" and collect out to see "Little Men," a small-budget comedy with Alfred Molina and Greg Kinnear. The myth centers two friends (boys played by newcomers Theo Taplitz and Michael Barbieri) whose parents battle over a dress shop lease. It opens in select theaters Aug. 5. Magnolia Pictures preceding Slide Next Slide 1 of 9 Small films this summer show men in new light: farcical Colin Farrell, or pre-presidential Obama on a date,more The men in this summer's slate of indie films are far from ordinary: Colin Farrell stars as a neurotic in the wonderfully weird romantic comedy "The Lobster" and Daniel Radcliffe is a dead guy in "Swiss Army Man." A young Barack Obama is depicted in "Southside with You" and then there is the lovestruck Jesse Eisenberg in "Café Society."
Click through to see more from The Men of Indie Summer: View In Gallery Related stories from TheWrap:'Suicide Squad' Executive Producer Is Donald Trump's Chief FundraiserIndie Film Distributor Ryan Krivoshey, Beata Gutman, and Brand Consultant Andy Marks Form Content StudioWhy Fear Streaming Giants? Indie Execs Sing Praises of Amazon,NetflixDavid Oyelowo's 'The Black 22s' Gets Pilot Order From National Geographic
Source: thewrap.com